Anastomotic Leak Consensus

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

7:45 AM – 8:35 AM ET, USA

Location: Baltimore Convention Center, Ballroom I-II

Co-Moderator(s)

Patricia Sylla, MD (she/her/hers)

Chief of Colorectal Surgery
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
MB

Marylise Boutros, MD (she/her/hers)

Professor of Surgery
Dr Marylise Boutros - Colorectal Surgeon, Cleveland Clinic Florida Professor of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
McGill University
Weston, Florida, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

CME Credit: 0.75
Self-Assessment Credit: 0.75
Contact Hours: 0.75

Anastomotic leaks are the most frequently reported major complication following colorectal resections. Significant heterogeneity in reported leak rates complicates efforts to identify risk factors and measure the efficacy of preoperative and/or intraoperative interventions to reduce leaks. This heterogeneity stems from a lack of consensus regarding reporting leaks. In this symposium, the results of the Consensus Reporting of Colorectal Anastomotic Leaks (CoReAL) project will be presented. This ASCRS-funded project aimed to develop an evidence-based standardized reporting framework for assessing and grading anastomotic leaks in colorectal surgery. If widely accepted and implemented by the surgical community, this novel framework could serve to de-stigmatize the reporting of leaks in the early and late postoperative period, reduce delays in care, and improve patient outcomes. An international team of subject matter experts that included patients and other key stakeholders, developed an evidence-based consensus framework for reporting and grading leaks that incorporates clinically meaningful and patient-centered elements. The results of this multiphase project will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Recognize current standards in defining, grading, and reporting anastomotic leaks in colorectal cancer trials.
Describe all evidence-based consensus recommendations regarding assessing risks, grading the severity, and reporting of anastomotic leaks in rectal cancer resections.
Appraise the proposal for a novel reporting framework in the assessment and grading of colorectal anastomotic leaks that incorporates the patient perspective.